BTC union rejects bidder
BY KEVA LIGHTBOURNE ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ kdl@nasguard.com:
The union that represents line staff at The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is objecting to the government's decision to enter talks with regional telecoms giant Cable & Wireless for a 51 percent stake in the state-owned entity.
Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) President Bernard Evans said the labor body would in no way support any amount of shares being sold to Cable & Wireless.
"Their track record as far as labor relations is not good and even given the potential model that they want to implement in terms of regional governance and control, it is not conducive to the Bahamian psyche that I know, that we know," Evans explained.
"We go on record as saying that we do not support any kind of sale to Cable & Wireless."
The Nassau Guardian understands that talks begun recently between the government and Cable & Wireless over the sale of the majority interest in BTC, which employs hundreds of Bahamians. This came despite the company turning down the chance to officially bid last year when a number of partnerships paid $25,000 to be a part of the process.
Cable & Wireless had been considered among the best prospects to purchase BTC when it opted out.
The Guardian reported recently that the talks that are now taking place between the company and the government sparked frustration among the two bidders that had been short-listed, with one saying it was actively considering whether it wanted to move forward in the process.
The two existing bidders — a JP Morgan/Vodafone combination and Atlantic Tele Network (ATN), partnering with CFAL — were among four proposals, which were short-listed last October.
Evans said the union is not supporting a sale to Vodafone either.
He said while privatization for BTC has been looming for a while, Bahamians should be given the first opportunity to purchase.
"And I believe the government was trying to get as much as it can get for the 51 percent sale for BTC, but given some of the figures we have been hearing it is not that attractive," Evans said.
"We are still reserved in that BTC is a very profitable entity. It is Bahamian-controlled, Bahamian-owned, and we believe it still should be Bahamian-owned and if [there is] any opportunity for any sale Bahamians should be looked at first," he said.
Last month, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham told The Nassau Guardian that there would be no fire sale of BTC.
"We have given the BTC privatization committee some parameters as to what bid would be acceptable to ourselves," he said.
"They are still having discussions, we expect to hear from them soon, but they have not formed any recommendation yet. We gave them the parameters but we are not having a fire sale, we don't have to sell immediately," Ingraham said.
June 8, 2010
thenassauguardian
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
The Bahamas' broken education system
tribune242 editorial:
DURING the Budget debate in the House of Assembly last week, former Education Minister Alfred Sears, announced that the country's education system is "broken" and in need of total transformation.
"I have been a Minister of Education and I can tell you the educational system in the Bahamas is broken. It is broken! And no amount of patching is going to change that. It must be transformed," said Mr Sears.
Mr Sears was not breaking new territory with this announcement. This "broken" system is a fact that we -- especially employers -- are all aware of and have had to accept for too long.
As Ralph Massey, a respected economist who did much of the research for the Coalition for Education Reform's 2005 report, said earlier this year: The "high failures and illiteracy rates" among Bahamian graduates in the public education system is "an embarrassment and severe national handicap" to this country's economic growth.
Mr Sears' argument was that the necessary across-the board budget cuts -- including education-- in the face of a severe economic crisis was "compromising investment in the human capital of our country."
What Mr Sears, and many others do not understand is that no matter how much money a government invests in education, well educated human beings are not necessarily the result.
Yesterday we had lunch with a US District Attorney -- a woman. She was discussing the education of her children, now all grown and doing brilliantly in their various fields. We were particularly interested in what she had to say about her only son. Educationally, he was a disappointment. He never brought back more than 20 per cent on his term exams -- something she considered an impossibility. But he did have one ambition -- he wanted to go to university and he knew he had to pass his finals to move on. By this time his parents had given up on him.
However, when his final results came in he had a perfect score on every paper that he had written.
What was the problem? Why had this young man given his parents so much heartburn for so many years?
The answer was simple: He was bored. He was bored with the tedium of the classroom and so his mind wandered. However, when he got to university he took the subjects that interested him, did brilliantly, and secured more than one degree. Today he is a successful lawyer.
No matter how much money was invested in him, he constantly failed because he had no incentive to learn.
At the beginning of the year, Mrs Janyne Hodder, spoke on education at a women's luncheon. If ever there was a person who exudes an enthusiasm and love for education, Mrs Hodder is an inspiration.
She is going to be a tremendous loss to this country when she leaves this year.
Although she claimed no expert knowledge on how to fix the Bahamas' educational problems, she did agree that a fix is needed, "not in words, but in actions."
"We don't need more criticism of the education system, criticism without proposals leads to defeatism." This is a point that we wish MPs would learn when speaking in the House.
If their criticism is not constructive then they would be doing everyone a favour to remain in their seats and keep their mouths shut.
Mrs Hodder then dared to dream of a different world of education, a world in which "we could stop blaming the past, the parents and the teachers, or the government and start focusing on experiments that take into account the challenges faced by parents, teachers and the government." There was merit in her suggestions-- suggestions to which we believe young people would respond with enthusiasm.
She pointed out that the overall level of educational attainment had to be increased. "We cannot have fewer than 15 per cent of our young people enrolled in higher education when every prosperous nation around us is moving to increase higher education participation rates, as high as 50 per cent in some countries."
Today, she pointed out, "even practical jobs require stronger skills. A car mechanic must now use computer data; and the stevedores of yesterday now sit astride huge straddlers that make use of sophisticated computer programmes to load and unload containers. This is skilled work, intense concentrated work."
"The economy," she said, "faces important structural challenges: We have a labour market that, in too many cases, pays higher wages for lower levels of skills than do our economic competitors. We have an overpopulated public service that turns on process management, one that is not results-oriented."
Mrs Hodder strongly supported "good jobs that pay good wages and help deliver better health, better family life and stronger communities. But for these types of jobs to be sustainable, we need a labour pool of educated innovators, skilled and educated people who add value to products or services. Such people will create the wealth without which we cannot sustain the relatively high standard of living The Bahamas enjoys."
It is now time for empty criticism to stop and innovative action to be taken.
June 07, 2010
tribune242 editorial
DURING the Budget debate in the House of Assembly last week, former Education Minister Alfred Sears, announced that the country's education system is "broken" and in need of total transformation.
"I have been a Minister of Education and I can tell you the educational system in the Bahamas is broken. It is broken! And no amount of patching is going to change that. It must be transformed," said Mr Sears.
Mr Sears was not breaking new territory with this announcement. This "broken" system is a fact that we -- especially employers -- are all aware of and have had to accept for too long.
As Ralph Massey, a respected economist who did much of the research for the Coalition for Education Reform's 2005 report, said earlier this year: The "high failures and illiteracy rates" among Bahamian graduates in the public education system is "an embarrassment and severe national handicap" to this country's economic growth.
Mr Sears' argument was that the necessary across-the board budget cuts -- including education-- in the face of a severe economic crisis was "compromising investment in the human capital of our country."
What Mr Sears, and many others do not understand is that no matter how much money a government invests in education, well educated human beings are not necessarily the result.
Yesterday we had lunch with a US District Attorney -- a woman. She was discussing the education of her children, now all grown and doing brilliantly in their various fields. We were particularly interested in what she had to say about her only son. Educationally, he was a disappointment. He never brought back more than 20 per cent on his term exams -- something she considered an impossibility. But he did have one ambition -- he wanted to go to university and he knew he had to pass his finals to move on. By this time his parents had given up on him.
However, when his final results came in he had a perfect score on every paper that he had written.
What was the problem? Why had this young man given his parents so much heartburn for so many years?
The answer was simple: He was bored. He was bored with the tedium of the classroom and so his mind wandered. However, when he got to university he took the subjects that interested him, did brilliantly, and secured more than one degree. Today he is a successful lawyer.
No matter how much money was invested in him, he constantly failed because he had no incentive to learn.
At the beginning of the year, Mrs Janyne Hodder, spoke on education at a women's luncheon. If ever there was a person who exudes an enthusiasm and love for education, Mrs Hodder is an inspiration.
She is going to be a tremendous loss to this country when she leaves this year.
Although she claimed no expert knowledge on how to fix the Bahamas' educational problems, she did agree that a fix is needed, "not in words, but in actions."
"We don't need more criticism of the education system, criticism without proposals leads to defeatism." This is a point that we wish MPs would learn when speaking in the House.
If their criticism is not constructive then they would be doing everyone a favour to remain in their seats and keep their mouths shut.
Mrs Hodder then dared to dream of a different world of education, a world in which "we could stop blaming the past, the parents and the teachers, or the government and start focusing on experiments that take into account the challenges faced by parents, teachers and the government." There was merit in her suggestions-- suggestions to which we believe young people would respond with enthusiasm.
She pointed out that the overall level of educational attainment had to be increased. "We cannot have fewer than 15 per cent of our young people enrolled in higher education when every prosperous nation around us is moving to increase higher education participation rates, as high as 50 per cent in some countries."
Today, she pointed out, "even practical jobs require stronger skills. A car mechanic must now use computer data; and the stevedores of yesterday now sit astride huge straddlers that make use of sophisticated computer programmes to load and unload containers. This is skilled work, intense concentrated work."
"The economy," she said, "faces important structural challenges: We have a labour market that, in too many cases, pays higher wages for lower levels of skills than do our economic competitors. We have an overpopulated public service that turns on process management, one that is not results-oriented."
Mrs Hodder strongly supported "good jobs that pay good wages and help deliver better health, better family life and stronger communities. But for these types of jobs to be sustainable, we need a labour pool of educated innovators, skilled and educated people who add value to products or services. Such people will create the wealth without which we cannot sustain the relatively high standard of living The Bahamas enjoys."
It is now time for empty criticism to stop and innovative action to be taken.
June 07, 2010
tribune242 editorial
Fort Charlotte MP Alfred Sears and Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell both agree that the Government should Legalize Gambling for Bahamians
Mitchell, Sears say govt should legalize gambling
By KRYSTEL ROLLE ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com:
The government ought to find the "courage and conviction" to legalize gambling in the country, according to two opposition MPs, who recently voiced their support for such a move.
Fort Charlotte MP Alfred Sears and Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell both agree that the Ingraham administration should immediately legalize some form of gambling for Bahamians.
Their announced support of gambling came more than a week after the Cabinet Office announced that the government will not proceed with the legalization of gambling. The government has instead concluded that a referendum should be held after the next general election so Bahamians can have the final say on the divisive issue.
However, Mitchell said he believes something should be done now.
"[Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham] is unable to exercise the courage of his conviction in the area of legalizing gambling in this country," said Mitchell in the House of Assembly during debate on the proposed new budget last Thursday. "I support the change in the law which will legalize gambling to all Bahamians without any discrimination whatsoever and the regulation of the gaming that's presently going on."
He added: "I need go no further than to say that the two religious leaders who last spoke on this issue, both the Roman Catholic and the Anglican, saw no intrinsic moral evil in gambling and so therefore the case against it in my view rests and the government should without delay move to allow Bahamians of adult age to exercise their specific choice of entertainment or investment if that is their desire. I do not gamble."
Sears said instead of opposing gambling, the churches should teach their members discipline.
"I heard the prime minister talking about taking away the concessions from persons under the Industries Encouragement Act (IEA)," Sears said as he made his contribution to the budget debate last week.
The prime minister announced last week that those businesses which have benefited from tax concessions for five years or more would have to pay 10 percent stamp tax duty on imports starting July 1.
Sears added that he would like Ingraham "to be just as biggety and just as bold" with the people affected by the IEA as he is with Atlantis.
"Concessions should be to attract," he said. "But we are still giving [them] away. You are taking [concessions] away from Bahamians, but yet Atlantis is getting $4 million cash and they're getting it to promote casino gambling. So you mean to tell me that my tax money is being given to Atlantis to promote casino gambling? And let me disclose right now that I support [it]. I represent Mr. Craig Flowers and I personally support the legalization of local gaming in The Bahamas."
Flowers was charged in a magistrates court several months ago with allowing his business to be used to conduct a lottery. The case is ongoing.
Sears said Bahamians will continue to gamble, if not in The Bahamas, elsewhere.
"You cannot have Bahamians going to Miami to buy lotto and my tax money is being spent to attract people here to gamble," he continued. "And my cousin and the church members are working in the casino. And the churches are going to Atlantis and asking them to let them have their functions in Atlantis and walking through the casino. Mr. Speaker, we must learn to make the tough decisions about public policy and not pander to special interests. Is it in the interest of The Bahamas?"
Ingraham told The Nassau Guardian recently that investigations had determined that the government could have brought in substantial revenues annually from the legalization of the numbers business.
"Quite candidly, I had hoped that we would have legalized the numbers business," Ingraham said.
"I'd hoped that we would have collected between $30 million and $40 million annually in revenue from the gambling business. Our investigations revealed that that's the kind of revenue we would have gotten as taxes.
"And I was hoping that we would not have to impose taxes on the Bahamian people, at least not to that extent, but that is not to be. So we have to get the money anyhow to provide the services that we have to provide to the population of The Bahamas."
The Cabinet Office statement said the government made the decision not to proceed with the legalization of gambling "after consultation with a wide range of community leaders and other citizens, including leaders of the church."
June 7, 2010
thenassauguardian
By KRYSTEL ROLLE ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com:
The government ought to find the "courage and conviction" to legalize gambling in the country, according to two opposition MPs, who recently voiced their support for such a move.
Fort Charlotte MP Alfred Sears and Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell both agree that the Ingraham administration should immediately legalize some form of gambling for Bahamians.
Their announced support of gambling came more than a week after the Cabinet Office announced that the government will not proceed with the legalization of gambling. The government has instead concluded that a referendum should be held after the next general election so Bahamians can have the final say on the divisive issue.
However, Mitchell said he believes something should be done now.
"[Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham] is unable to exercise the courage of his conviction in the area of legalizing gambling in this country," said Mitchell in the House of Assembly during debate on the proposed new budget last Thursday. "I support the change in the law which will legalize gambling to all Bahamians without any discrimination whatsoever and the regulation of the gaming that's presently going on."
He added: "I need go no further than to say that the two religious leaders who last spoke on this issue, both the Roman Catholic and the Anglican, saw no intrinsic moral evil in gambling and so therefore the case against it in my view rests and the government should without delay move to allow Bahamians of adult age to exercise their specific choice of entertainment or investment if that is their desire. I do not gamble."
Sears said instead of opposing gambling, the churches should teach their members discipline.
"I heard the prime minister talking about taking away the concessions from persons under the Industries Encouragement Act (IEA)," Sears said as he made his contribution to the budget debate last week.
The prime minister announced last week that those businesses which have benefited from tax concessions for five years or more would have to pay 10 percent stamp tax duty on imports starting July 1.
Sears added that he would like Ingraham "to be just as biggety and just as bold" with the people affected by the IEA as he is with Atlantis.
"Concessions should be to attract," he said. "But we are still giving [them] away. You are taking [concessions] away from Bahamians, but yet Atlantis is getting $4 million cash and they're getting it to promote casino gambling. So you mean to tell me that my tax money is being given to Atlantis to promote casino gambling? And let me disclose right now that I support [it]. I represent Mr. Craig Flowers and I personally support the legalization of local gaming in The Bahamas."
Flowers was charged in a magistrates court several months ago with allowing his business to be used to conduct a lottery. The case is ongoing.
Sears said Bahamians will continue to gamble, if not in The Bahamas, elsewhere.
"You cannot have Bahamians going to Miami to buy lotto and my tax money is being spent to attract people here to gamble," he continued. "And my cousin and the church members are working in the casino. And the churches are going to Atlantis and asking them to let them have their functions in Atlantis and walking through the casino. Mr. Speaker, we must learn to make the tough decisions about public policy and not pander to special interests. Is it in the interest of The Bahamas?"
Ingraham told The Nassau Guardian recently that investigations had determined that the government could have brought in substantial revenues annually from the legalization of the numbers business.
"Quite candidly, I had hoped that we would have legalized the numbers business," Ingraham said.
"I'd hoped that we would have collected between $30 million and $40 million annually in revenue from the gambling business. Our investigations revealed that that's the kind of revenue we would have gotten as taxes.
"And I was hoping that we would not have to impose taxes on the Bahamian people, at least not to that extent, but that is not to be. So we have to get the money anyhow to provide the services that we have to provide to the population of The Bahamas."
The Cabinet Office statement said the government made the decision not to proceed with the legalization of gambling "after consultation with a wide range of community leaders and other citizens, including leaders of the church."
June 7, 2010
thenassauguardian
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Bahamas must avoid Jamaica's shadow and never let our criminals feel powerful enough to challenge the state
Bahamas must avoid Jamaica's shadow
tribune242 editorial:
JAMAICA'S Prime Minister Bruce Golding narrowly survived a bitter no confidence vote in Jamaica's parliament on Tuesday, while the national security minister vowed that the storming of gang-fortified Tivoli Gardens in search of "Dudas" Coke was only the beginning of an all-out assault on armed gangs that are holding Jamaica hostage.
The Bahamas must be especially on its guard at this time to make certain that the "scorched earth" policy to remove Jamaica's gangs does not allow one or two -- even "Dudas" -- to escape through the net and try to disappear into our own drug underworld.
In taking down Tivoli Gardens, "Dudas" Coke's fortified stronghold, the police seized 47 firearms (handguns and rifles) and almost 10,700 rounds of ammunition. In the siege 73 civilians, one Defence Force officer and two policemen were killed. Coke, wanted in the United States to face drug and gun-running charges, disappeared with some of his key supporters. However, this week, his brother, escorted by the Rev Al Miller, a prominent clergyman in Jamaica, turned himself in to police. He was among a list of 50 gang leaders that the police had asked to surrender. It is understood that more than half of them complied.
Rev Miller commended the police for treating Leighton "Livity " Coke with "extreme professionalism" as he called on Livity's brother "Dudas" -- the cause of Jamaica's present turmoil -- to turn himself in. The reverend reminded "Dudas" that if he valued his life his best chance of saving it was to get to the police first. Dudas' gang world is not limited to Jamaica. He is reputed to be an international dealer with his tentacles stretching far and wide.
According Jamaican police they estimate that more than 200 gangs with 4,000 members are operating across Jamaica.
The worst feature of their existence is that the more powerful ones are closely aligned to Jamaica's two political parties. Tivoli Gardens, for example, is a stronghold supporting Prime Minister Golding with "Dudas" Coke delivering the votes at election time. This constituency-within-a-constituency was created and supported by Mr Golding's predecessor, former Prime Minister Edward Seaga.
This has led this week to Mr Golding's near political demise -- saved only by the two parties voting solidly along party lines, defeating the Opposition's no-confidence motion by two votes. For nine months Mr Golding blocked the US's extradition request for Coke. Eventually after facing tremendous public pressure, the Jamaican government relented, and the court agreed to hear the extradition application. However, in the background, the governing JLP engaged a lobbying firm of lawyers to negotiate the extradition request with the US government.
At first Mr Golding denied having anything to do with this decision. Then three weeks ago, he admitted to parliament that he had in fact approved the hiring of the lobbyists on behalf of his political party, not the Jamaican government.
He apologised to the nation and took full responsibility for his actions.
He has been on the downward slide ever since.
In Tuesday's no-confidence debate the Opposition accused him of deceiving parliament, maintaining that his credibility was irredeemably compromised. In defence a member of his party maintained that the prime minister's contrition and acceptance of responsibility was evidence of the character of a good leader. At the end of the marathon debate the prime minister was saved by two votes.
Now that Government is in control of a well-armed, well-fortified Tivoli Gardens -- one of Jamaica's many gang-controlled constituencies -- it is going after at least four others. The Cabinet has approved anti-gang legislation, which is in the draft stages, to be presented to parliament shortly.
"These gangs," said National Security Minister Dwight Nelson, "are not the little groups of guys standing on the street corner. We are talking about gangs that are organised, that have command structures, with international connections that engage in gun- and drug-running from which they acquire their wealth.
"Our task now," he said, "is to dismantle and destroy these gangs. Our task is to separate them from their communities. Our task is to separate them from their wealth."
Let this be a lesson to the Bahamas. Years ago Sir Etienne Dupuch used to say that the Bahamas always seemed to be walking in Jamaica's downward shadow. Our readers should recall how our own little drug lords were building their communities of loyalty around them, and as a consequence getting too close to some of our politicians -- to such an extent that some of them were openly boasting that they not only expected political protection, but also political favours. We can think of the times that parliament has been lied to, but for some reason members have chosen not to make an issue of it. Many times The Tribune has stood alone pointing out the inconsistencies.
Jamaica's political parties have created the present problem for themselves and their country. In those days politicians seemed to think it the smart way to win elections. They helped build a monster that has now turned on them.
Bahamians must now make certain that our nation steps out of Jamaica's shadow and never let our criminals feel powerful enough to challenge the state.
June 03, 2010
tribune242 editorial
tribune242 editorial:
JAMAICA'S Prime Minister Bruce Golding narrowly survived a bitter no confidence vote in Jamaica's parliament on Tuesday, while the national security minister vowed that the storming of gang-fortified Tivoli Gardens in search of "Dudas" Coke was only the beginning of an all-out assault on armed gangs that are holding Jamaica hostage.
The Bahamas must be especially on its guard at this time to make certain that the "scorched earth" policy to remove Jamaica's gangs does not allow one or two -- even "Dudas" -- to escape through the net and try to disappear into our own drug underworld.
In taking down Tivoli Gardens, "Dudas" Coke's fortified stronghold, the police seized 47 firearms (handguns and rifles) and almost 10,700 rounds of ammunition. In the siege 73 civilians, one Defence Force officer and two policemen were killed. Coke, wanted in the United States to face drug and gun-running charges, disappeared with some of his key supporters. However, this week, his brother, escorted by the Rev Al Miller, a prominent clergyman in Jamaica, turned himself in to police. He was among a list of 50 gang leaders that the police had asked to surrender. It is understood that more than half of them complied.
Rev Miller commended the police for treating Leighton "Livity " Coke with "extreme professionalism" as he called on Livity's brother "Dudas" -- the cause of Jamaica's present turmoil -- to turn himself in. The reverend reminded "Dudas" that if he valued his life his best chance of saving it was to get to the police first. Dudas' gang world is not limited to Jamaica. He is reputed to be an international dealer with his tentacles stretching far and wide.
According Jamaican police they estimate that more than 200 gangs with 4,000 members are operating across Jamaica.
The worst feature of their existence is that the more powerful ones are closely aligned to Jamaica's two political parties. Tivoli Gardens, for example, is a stronghold supporting Prime Minister Golding with "Dudas" Coke delivering the votes at election time. This constituency-within-a-constituency was created and supported by Mr Golding's predecessor, former Prime Minister Edward Seaga.
This has led this week to Mr Golding's near political demise -- saved only by the two parties voting solidly along party lines, defeating the Opposition's no-confidence motion by two votes. For nine months Mr Golding blocked the US's extradition request for Coke. Eventually after facing tremendous public pressure, the Jamaican government relented, and the court agreed to hear the extradition application. However, in the background, the governing JLP engaged a lobbying firm of lawyers to negotiate the extradition request with the US government.
At first Mr Golding denied having anything to do with this decision. Then three weeks ago, he admitted to parliament that he had in fact approved the hiring of the lobbyists on behalf of his political party, not the Jamaican government.
He apologised to the nation and took full responsibility for his actions.
He has been on the downward slide ever since.
In Tuesday's no-confidence debate the Opposition accused him of deceiving parliament, maintaining that his credibility was irredeemably compromised. In defence a member of his party maintained that the prime minister's contrition and acceptance of responsibility was evidence of the character of a good leader. At the end of the marathon debate the prime minister was saved by two votes.
Now that Government is in control of a well-armed, well-fortified Tivoli Gardens -- one of Jamaica's many gang-controlled constituencies -- it is going after at least four others. The Cabinet has approved anti-gang legislation, which is in the draft stages, to be presented to parliament shortly.
"These gangs," said National Security Minister Dwight Nelson, "are not the little groups of guys standing on the street corner. We are talking about gangs that are organised, that have command structures, with international connections that engage in gun- and drug-running from which they acquire their wealth.
"Our task now," he said, "is to dismantle and destroy these gangs. Our task is to separate them from their communities. Our task is to separate them from their wealth."
Let this be a lesson to the Bahamas. Years ago Sir Etienne Dupuch used to say that the Bahamas always seemed to be walking in Jamaica's downward shadow. Our readers should recall how our own little drug lords were building their communities of loyalty around them, and as a consequence getting too close to some of our politicians -- to such an extent that some of them were openly boasting that they not only expected political protection, but also political favours. We can think of the times that parliament has been lied to, but for some reason members have chosen not to make an issue of it. Many times The Tribune has stood alone pointing out the inconsistencies.
Jamaica's political parties have created the present problem for themselves and their country. In those days politicians seemed to think it the smart way to win elections. They helped build a monster that has now turned on them.
Bahamians must now make certain that our nation steps out of Jamaica's shadow and never let our criminals feel powerful enough to challenge the state.
June 03, 2010
tribune242 editorial
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Former Free National Movement (FNM) Senator Darron Cash Blasts Government Over Its Over-dependence on Foreign Expertise
Former FNM Senator Blasts Gov’t
By Kendea Jones:
A former Free National Movement (FNM) senator is blasting the government over what he feels is its over-dependence on foreign expertise.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Darron Cash said the government is publicly setting up a “trial balloon” by hiring Canadian Company Emera to analyse the Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s (BEC) financial position.
“As a former senator, I am greatly concerned about successive governments’ apparent default position of looking to and relying upon perceived foreign expertise at the expense of Bahamian talent,” he said.
“To put it another way, I am concerned, and to a degree troubled, by the extent to which successive governments appear to look to foreign nationals to solve every major national problem we have.”
According to Mr. Cash the government has brought in foreign reserves for the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA), the city dump, BEC, Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), the College of The Bahamas (COB) and the New Providence Road Improvement Project (NPRIP).
“With respect to BEC, I strongly urge the government to reconsider this idea. It is a bad idea,” he said.
“This country must get to the point where Bahamians recognise that they must be the ones to take ownership of and solve the country’s problems.”
The former senator added that he believes that the government is in too much of a hurry to solve the country’s problems.
The government has made no secret of the fact that BEC is in troubled waters.
Minister of State for the Environment Phenton Neymour, who has responsibility for public utilities, has said that the government projects that the state-owned corporation will lose $28 million in profits this year.
While speaking with the Bahama Journal yesterday, Minister Neymour said he disagrees that the government did not use Bahamian expertise.
“We used firms like Ernst & Young, which produced audit reports for us and analysed the processes being analysed in BEC. We also used the services of Deloitte & Touche, who did a forensics analysis over a number of months. They both produced reports for the government and the government took their recommendations, which included restructuring its BEC’s executive team,” he said.
Minister Neymour said the government also made the decision to hire Michael Moss as BEC chairman because he was locally and internationally known.
He also defended the government’s decision to appoint Emera.
“We have to now address BEC from an operational standpoint and so we had to find those firms who have experience not only in The Bahamas but in the Caribbean. Emera is part owner of the Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC) and so it has experience not only in The Bahamas, but in Barbados and elsewhere in the Caribbean.
“We are using firms like that to provide BEC with stronger management because one of the things pointed out by the Bahamian firms is that we need to strengthen our executive team at BEC,” Minister Neymour said.
The minister also pointed out that the government is looking to bring renewable energy to BEC.
Minister Neymour said Emera is just the company to help the corporation get it.
“They are running experiments in regards to wind energy, tidal energy etc. We want to bring in these kinds of companies with this type of experience. So what Mr. Cash is saying is not correct. What we are doing is taking a multipronged approach to restoring BEC to the position where it used to be,” he said.
June 3rd, 2010
jonesbahamas
By Kendea Jones:
A former Free National Movement (FNM) senator is blasting the government over what he feels is its over-dependence on foreign expertise.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Darron Cash said the government is publicly setting up a “trial balloon” by hiring Canadian Company Emera to analyse the Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s (BEC) financial position.
“As a former senator, I am greatly concerned about successive governments’ apparent default position of looking to and relying upon perceived foreign expertise at the expense of Bahamian talent,” he said.
“To put it another way, I am concerned, and to a degree troubled, by the extent to which successive governments appear to look to foreign nationals to solve every major national problem we have.”
According to Mr. Cash the government has brought in foreign reserves for the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA), the city dump, BEC, Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), the College of The Bahamas (COB) and the New Providence Road Improvement Project (NPRIP).
“With respect to BEC, I strongly urge the government to reconsider this idea. It is a bad idea,” he said.
“This country must get to the point where Bahamians recognise that they must be the ones to take ownership of and solve the country’s problems.”
The former senator added that he believes that the government is in too much of a hurry to solve the country’s problems.
The government has made no secret of the fact that BEC is in troubled waters.
Minister of State for the Environment Phenton Neymour, who has responsibility for public utilities, has said that the government projects that the state-owned corporation will lose $28 million in profits this year.
While speaking with the Bahama Journal yesterday, Minister Neymour said he disagrees that the government did not use Bahamian expertise.
“We used firms like Ernst & Young, which produced audit reports for us and analysed the processes being analysed in BEC. We also used the services of Deloitte & Touche, who did a forensics analysis over a number of months. They both produced reports for the government and the government took their recommendations, which included restructuring its BEC’s executive team,” he said.
Minister Neymour said the government also made the decision to hire Michael Moss as BEC chairman because he was locally and internationally known.
He also defended the government’s decision to appoint Emera.
“We have to now address BEC from an operational standpoint and so we had to find those firms who have experience not only in The Bahamas but in the Caribbean. Emera is part owner of the Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC) and so it has experience not only in The Bahamas, but in Barbados and elsewhere in the Caribbean.
“We are using firms like that to provide BEC with stronger management because one of the things pointed out by the Bahamian firms is that we need to strengthen our executive team at BEC,” Minister Neymour said.
The minister also pointed out that the government is looking to bring renewable energy to BEC.
Minister Neymour said Emera is just the company to help the corporation get it.
“They are running experiments in regards to wind energy, tidal energy etc. We want to bring in these kinds of companies with this type of experience. So what Mr. Cash is saying is not correct. What we are doing is taking a multipronged approach to restoring BEC to the position where it used to be,” he said.
June 3rd, 2010
jonesbahamas
Bahamas National Oil Spill Committee is set to present its disaster management plan...
Oil disaster management plan to be presented
By MEGAN REYNOLDS
Tribune Staff Reporter
mreynolds@tribunemedia.net:
THE National Oil Spill Committee is set to present its disaster management plan today as it was revealed that "favourable winds are the only thing preventing the Gulf of Mexico spill from reaching the Bahamas.
As the committee prepares to confront the world's worst offshore oil disaster, weather predictions suggest the current prevailing wind direction will protect the Bahamas until Tuesday, however a change in wind pattern is expected to move the oil towards the western Bahamas.
A detailed national strategy devised with two International Maritime Organisation (IMO) experts will be presented to committee chairman, Captain Patrick O'Neil and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) director Captain Stephen Russell today and passed on to Environment Minister Earl Deveaux.
The multi-agency committee will also meet with the IMO and the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today as Florida braced for an oil sheen containing thousands of tar balls, heavy globs of decayed oil, to reach the white sand beaches of Pensacola on the west coast.
However, southern winds predicted over the next five days will keep surface oil in the Gulf and west of Florida, Department of Meteorology chief climatological officer Michael Stubbs said.
"The winds are providing a protective barrier in the meantime," he told The Tribune.
"But the news now indicates the oil has entered the loop current, which feeds directly into the Gulf Stream and that moves towards our western shores.
"Ultimately, that is our concern, that it could end up in the Gulf Stream.
"However right now there is no need to panic, at least until Tuesday next week."
If the wind changes direction and spreads to the Florida Keys it will take about a week to then reach the Bahamas, National Oil Spill Committee spokesman Eric Carey said.
"We feel confident that the weather patterns are still in our favour," he said.
"Most of the currents are pushing it on shore of the Gulf and keeping it away from the Bahamas.
"But if it gets into the Florida Keys it would be an indication that it would be here in a week or so, and whatever gets to Florida and the Keys, we will probably get the same type of material."
Oil slicks are not expected but tar balls could drift towards the western coastlines, Mr Carey said.
As it will not be possible to install a 600-mile long boom to protect the Bahamas' western shoreline, the national strategy will involve booming key areas and cleaning up affected rocky shores.
Mr Carey said: "If we can boom off beaches we will have to clean up other areas like rocky shores as much as we can."
Meanwhile scientists are collecting evidence of tar-free shorelines, and having completed field work in Cay Sal Bank, the westernmost point of the Bahamas 145km west of Andros, they will move on to Bimini and other western coastlines to document baseline samples from sediment and fish.
Leading marine ecologist Dr Ethan Freid and marine biologist Kathleen Sealy will start training of more than 20 volunteers from Andros, Exuma, Abaco and Grand Bahama at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) base in Coral Harbour on Monday.
The volunteers will then return home and train others to help them collect samples from the islands.
Mr Carey said: "If in the future the Bahamas is going to claim to some international litigation process, that the Gulf oil disaster is responsible for effects we see on tourism, fisheries resources, blue holes or other water resources, then we will have to prove that these people were properly trained.
"And as this oil event continues in the Gulf we need to have very credible samples."
Samples will be kept in a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified laboratory so they may be presented as evidence in court if the government decides to seek compensation for the clean-up costs and destruction from the spill.
The United States Justice Department announced on Tuesday it has launched criminal and civil probes into the spill.
Attempts to plug the well with mud failed over the weekend and subsequent efforts to cut off the fractured pipe and seal it hit a snag when a saw became stuck in a thick pipe on the sea bed on Tuesday, prompting a sharp decline in BP's shares on the stock market.
It is now estimated the oil could remain uncapped for two months or more as BP is drilling two relief wells to permanently plug the leak, but they are not expected to be completed until August.
The impact of the spill could be worsened by the impact of a cyclone, storm or hurricane in the Gulf this season which could hamper efforts to plug the spill and spread the oil.
Deep waters surrounding Cay Sal Bank, Abaco and Bimini are among the most important fishing grounds in the Bahamas and the extensive creek system on the west coast of Andros is largely protected by a national park boundary which the Nature Conservancy is hoping to extend with funding donated by Disney through the release of the child-friendly documentary "Oceans."
BP estimates the disaster has so far cost the company approximately $990 million in clean-up costs since BP's Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20 killing 11 workers and collapsing into the Gulf of Mexico.
June 03, 2010
tribune242
By MEGAN REYNOLDS
Tribune Staff Reporter
mreynolds@tribunemedia.net:
THE National Oil Spill Committee is set to present its disaster management plan today as it was revealed that "favourable winds are the only thing preventing the Gulf of Mexico spill from reaching the Bahamas.
As the committee prepares to confront the world's worst offshore oil disaster, weather predictions suggest the current prevailing wind direction will protect the Bahamas until Tuesday, however a change in wind pattern is expected to move the oil towards the western Bahamas.
A detailed national strategy devised with two International Maritime Organisation (IMO) experts will be presented to committee chairman, Captain Patrick O'Neil and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) director Captain Stephen Russell today and passed on to Environment Minister Earl Deveaux.
The multi-agency committee will also meet with the IMO and the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today as Florida braced for an oil sheen containing thousands of tar balls, heavy globs of decayed oil, to reach the white sand beaches of Pensacola on the west coast.
However, southern winds predicted over the next five days will keep surface oil in the Gulf and west of Florida, Department of Meteorology chief climatological officer Michael Stubbs said.
"The winds are providing a protective barrier in the meantime," he told The Tribune.
"But the news now indicates the oil has entered the loop current, which feeds directly into the Gulf Stream and that moves towards our western shores.
"Ultimately, that is our concern, that it could end up in the Gulf Stream.
"However right now there is no need to panic, at least until Tuesday next week."
If the wind changes direction and spreads to the Florida Keys it will take about a week to then reach the Bahamas, National Oil Spill Committee spokesman Eric Carey said.
"We feel confident that the weather patterns are still in our favour," he said.
"Most of the currents are pushing it on shore of the Gulf and keeping it away from the Bahamas.
"But if it gets into the Florida Keys it would be an indication that it would be here in a week or so, and whatever gets to Florida and the Keys, we will probably get the same type of material."
Oil slicks are not expected but tar balls could drift towards the western coastlines, Mr Carey said.
As it will not be possible to install a 600-mile long boom to protect the Bahamas' western shoreline, the national strategy will involve booming key areas and cleaning up affected rocky shores.
Mr Carey said: "If we can boom off beaches we will have to clean up other areas like rocky shores as much as we can."
Meanwhile scientists are collecting evidence of tar-free shorelines, and having completed field work in Cay Sal Bank, the westernmost point of the Bahamas 145km west of Andros, they will move on to Bimini and other western coastlines to document baseline samples from sediment and fish.
Leading marine ecologist Dr Ethan Freid and marine biologist Kathleen Sealy will start training of more than 20 volunteers from Andros, Exuma, Abaco and Grand Bahama at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) base in Coral Harbour on Monday.
The volunteers will then return home and train others to help them collect samples from the islands.
Mr Carey said: "If in the future the Bahamas is going to claim to some international litigation process, that the Gulf oil disaster is responsible for effects we see on tourism, fisheries resources, blue holes or other water resources, then we will have to prove that these people were properly trained.
"And as this oil event continues in the Gulf we need to have very credible samples."
Samples will be kept in a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified laboratory so they may be presented as evidence in court if the government decides to seek compensation for the clean-up costs and destruction from the spill.
The United States Justice Department announced on Tuesday it has launched criminal and civil probes into the spill.
Attempts to plug the well with mud failed over the weekend and subsequent efforts to cut off the fractured pipe and seal it hit a snag when a saw became stuck in a thick pipe on the sea bed on Tuesday, prompting a sharp decline in BP's shares on the stock market.
It is now estimated the oil could remain uncapped for two months or more as BP is drilling two relief wells to permanently plug the leak, but they are not expected to be completed until August.
The impact of the spill could be worsened by the impact of a cyclone, storm or hurricane in the Gulf this season which could hamper efforts to plug the spill and spread the oil.
Deep waters surrounding Cay Sal Bank, Abaco and Bimini are among the most important fishing grounds in the Bahamas and the extensive creek system on the west coast of Andros is largely protected by a national park boundary which the Nature Conservancy is hoping to extend with funding donated by Disney through the release of the child-friendly documentary "Oceans."
BP estimates the disaster has so far cost the company approximately $990 million in clean-up costs since BP's Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20 killing 11 workers and collapsing into the Gulf of Mexico.
June 03, 2010
tribune242
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Bahamas tax level remains "one of the lowest in the world" and simply "cannot cut it" in the long term, says Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham
PM: Bahamas tax level one of world's lowest
By ALISON LOWE
Tribune Staff Reporter
alowe@tribunemedia.net:
THE level of tax taken in by the government each year remains "one of the lowest in the world" and simply "cannot cut it" in the long term, the Prime Minister said yesterday, as he defended tax increases being imposed in this year's budget and warned that more substantial changes will be required in the future.
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said that the country's low-tax status remains the case "notwithstanding the increase in taxes" the Government is implementing to shore up its revenue this year, such as those on cars, local beer, tourism and domestic retail banks.
He said that the Government currently collects the equivalent of 18 per cent of the country's gross domestic product in tax, comparing this to the tax collected in other nations such as Singapore (23), St Lucia (29), Trinidad and Tobago (30), Jamaica (30) and Barbados (33).
"Notwithstanding the increase in taxes that we are putting in, The Bahamas has one of the lowest rates of taxation in the world. That's notwithstanding all of the islands and services we have to duplicate. You know how easy it is to run a Barbados with a similar population (size), with one island, one set of high schools, one set of primary schools, one set of roads, one set of electricity to generate?
"But while we are expensive to operate as a country, we're only getting around 18 per cent of Gross Domestic Product in tax. That is not going to cut it. That cannot cut it. We are hoping to raise that to 19.7 per cent in the coming year. That is optimistic, as I said."
Mr Ingraham complained that Bahamians "demand all of these services but are not prepared to pay the taxes" that are required to sustain them.
And in this regard, pointing to more sweeping changes to the way the government collects its revenue and from where, Mr Ingraham said that the government of The Bahamas will "one day have to be prepared to say to the public of the Bahamas that the current tax system is inequitable and unfair and do something about it."
He added that Bahamians tend to "demand all of these (government) services but are not prepared to pay the taxes."
"Barbados has excellent social statistics. But the people pay," he said.
June 03, 2010
tribune242
By ALISON LOWE
Tribune Staff Reporter
alowe@tribunemedia.net:
THE level of tax taken in by the government each year remains "one of the lowest in the world" and simply "cannot cut it" in the long term, the Prime Minister said yesterday, as he defended tax increases being imposed in this year's budget and warned that more substantial changes will be required in the future.
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said that the country's low-tax status remains the case "notwithstanding the increase in taxes" the Government is implementing to shore up its revenue this year, such as those on cars, local beer, tourism and domestic retail banks.
He said that the Government currently collects the equivalent of 18 per cent of the country's gross domestic product in tax, comparing this to the tax collected in other nations such as Singapore (23), St Lucia (29), Trinidad and Tobago (30), Jamaica (30) and Barbados (33).
"Notwithstanding the increase in taxes that we are putting in, The Bahamas has one of the lowest rates of taxation in the world. That's notwithstanding all of the islands and services we have to duplicate. You know how easy it is to run a Barbados with a similar population (size), with one island, one set of high schools, one set of primary schools, one set of roads, one set of electricity to generate?
"But while we are expensive to operate as a country, we're only getting around 18 per cent of Gross Domestic Product in tax. That is not going to cut it. That cannot cut it. We are hoping to raise that to 19.7 per cent in the coming year. That is optimistic, as I said."
Mr Ingraham complained that Bahamians "demand all of these services but are not prepared to pay the taxes" that are required to sustain them.
And in this regard, pointing to more sweeping changes to the way the government collects its revenue and from where, Mr Ingraham said that the government of The Bahamas will "one day have to be prepared to say to the public of the Bahamas that the current tax system is inequitable and unfair and do something about it."
He added that Bahamians tend to "demand all of these (government) services but are not prepared to pay the taxes."
"Barbados has excellent social statistics. But the people pay," he said.
June 03, 2010
tribune242
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